


Committed

by EponineTheStrange (gallifreyandglowclouds)



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-07
Updated: 2013-06-07
Packaged: 2017-12-14 04:53:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/832966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gallifreyandglowclouds/pseuds/EponineTheStrange
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Matt and Karen where one of them is in the hospital and the other one is a nervous wreck?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Committed

So, there was an accident. 

He didn’t really know what had happened - Karen was out for lunch or something with another person from her new show, and they were crossing the street and some asshole had treated the stoplight like it was optional, and plowed right into her. Stephen hadn’t said too much when he told Matt to get back to London from Cardiff right away, but he did see the girl who was with her when the accident happening. She was still hysterical three hours after the fact, and kept on repeating, “There was so much blood.” 

That really, really did wonders for Matt’s mental health. 

He was still in his costume, having been called off of set in the middle of shooting a scene. He felt a little bit overdressed and strange, sitting in a hospital with bowtie and braces. 

How could this have happened? Well, more importantly, why? Karen had been living with Matt for a year, and everything was going so well. He was overjoyed to have her back in his life, and even happier since they’d said the words they had never said to each other when they worked together (though actually, Arthur was happier than anyone - “Jesus, you two finally figured it out.”) 

There was nothing he would have preferred to do than wrap his arms around her and curl up beside her like they would do on the couch, and tell her that he loved her and that everything was going to be okay. 

God, he hoped that he would have the chance to touch her again. 

* * *

He sat in the hospital, waiting and feeling the strands of his patience and sanity disappearing with the March sunlight. Karen’s parents showed up eventually, and they came with food and coffee which were much appreciated. The three of them barely spoke, as if the tragedy weighed too heavily.

Finally, a doctor appeared from behind the doors separating him from Karen to deliver some news. “She’s stable, but sedated, and her injuries are severe. We think that she’s going to pull through, but we’ll see how tonight goes.”

“Can I see her?” Matt asked.

The doctor shook his head. “Not tonight. She should be ready for visitors by tomorrow.” 

Matt felt anger rise in him, and briefly considered storming the doors  _because no one was going to keep him from Karen, dammit,_ but her mom put a hand on his shoulder and said, “We can all get some rest and come back and see her tomorrow, Matt.” 

He turned around and walked away with Mr. and Mrs. Gillan. They dropped him off at his flat. 

He walked in, lay down on the couch, and stared at the ceiling until the sun came back up. 

* * *

Matt was exhausted and running on excessive amounts of caffeine by the time he was allowed in to Karen’s room, and the shaking in his hands only intensified when he saw her lying in her hospital bed, bright red hair strewn haphazardly around her pillow. 

“She’s still really sedated,” her mom whispered, almost reverentially. “They might start lifting it, but there’s been a lot of trauma.” 

Matt grabbed one of the chairs in the room and pulled it up to her bedside. He grabbed one of her hands and held it, breathing deeply to hold back the tears. That figure on the bed? That wasn’t Karen - she was his dynamic, active girlfriend, bouncing around with a spirit as bright as her hair, not lying on a hospital bed with needles and tubes surrounding her. 

She looked so small. 

“Hey,” he whispered, on the off chance that she could hear him, “I’m not going anywhere, Kaz. I’m going to stay here until you’re better, okay?” 

He kissed her hand gently.

* * *

Later that evening, they did some more tests, and after much consternation they agreed to start lightening the sedation to see if she’d wake. Karen’s mum and dad - who had been wonderful, because Matt generally wasn’t fit for human company - decided to go home, but one of the exceedingly kind nurses helped Matt make some sort of bed with spare chairs, blankets, and pillows. That evening, he went and bought himself a sandwich, then settled in for a night’s rest, knowing that he might get a little bit of sleep. 

A few hours later, he awoke to the rustling of sheets. His brain took longer than it might have to put together all the stimuli, but soon he realised what was happening - Karen was awake. 

They had intubated her because of all the pain meds in her system, and now she was fighting a bit against the tube.  _Fair,_ Matt thought, because he surely wouldn’t want a plastic tube shoved down his throat. 

He rested a hand on his shoulder to calm a her a little, and then grabbed her hand again. “Hey. I don’t know when that’s coming out, but just relax, okay?” 

She nodded, and lay back on the bed, as if the short exertion had wiped her out. 

“You’re banged up bad, Gillan,” he said, trying to mask his anxiety with humour. “I hope that this is a reminder to everyone not to run red lights, because they might accidentally maim the prettiest ginger around.” His voice caught a little at the end of that sentence, and he kissed her forehead gently. “Missed you, Kaz. Your parents will be happy to see you tomorrow morning. I’m pretty happy to see you right now.” He wiped tears away with his free hand. 

Her eyes were still dull, probably from the effects of the morphine, but she squeezed his hand gently. She rolled over on her side to face him as much as she could. 

“Love you, Moonface,” he said, and rested his head on the pillow beside hers. She was aware enough to roll her eyes at that comment. 

For the first time in a long time, Matt truly believed that everything was going to be okay. 


End file.
